Today in History: Plessy versus Ferguson

Decided on May 18th, 1896, Plessy versus Ferguson was a landmark case that upheld racial segregation laws for public facilities in the United States, provided they were equal in quality. Taken to trial, Homer Randolph Plessy had boarded a “whites only” car of the East Louisiana Railroad in New Orleans after buying a first class ticket.

Regarded as one of the worst decisions in our nation’s history, the decision was later ruled unconstitutional with regard to schools and educational facilities as a result of the landmark case Brown versus Board of Education in 1956.

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